Summary - April 27 Hunger Relief Drive
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Monday, April 27, 2020, hunger relief drive, benefitting Feeding America. This online event earmarked 100% of profits from sales that day for that terrific charity.
For the sake of transparency, I'll break down the results here. For small business entrepreneurs out there, prepare to nerd out.
Total sales came in at $1,238.59, or roughly the equivalent of a three-day supply of coffee for some writers out there.
Unfortunately, I had to refund a portion of that total. In a stroke of bad timing, I learned on Monday that the printer that finishes the color-changing mugs had to pause operations because of COVID-19. I couldn't fill those orders, so refunds went out and the mug is no longer listed on the website. That's disappointing, but not unexpected these days. I hope to have it back soon.
That brought the total to $1,174.46. Then comes the cost of the coffee itself. I get a good deal, but I'm not Costco, either. The COGS on the coffee came to $475.87, bringing the new total to $698.59.
The orders received their shipping labels on Tuesday, which is a great turnaround time. I owe a lot to the fantastic job my roasting partner does. Shipping charges have gone up, and I've eaten some of that cost, but USPS doesn't run on coffee alone. Shipping the orders out cost $317.88.
Figure in transaction fees, and the grand finale is $266.04. In Feeding America terms, that's 2,660 meals, or enough to feed a family of four for 7.5 months.
Yes, that's short of my stated goal of $1,000, but I'm not going to lose sleep over it. The generosity and enthusiasm that people showed toward this campaign brought some much needed color to these gray days of quarantines and lockdowns.
I think many of us, myself included, feel stuck. Collaborating online for a cause can be a reminder of the good that is still out there. As one person put it in an e-mail exchange on Monday, this little campaign "gave me an easy way to make a difference while making some friends and family smile when they get up in the morning."
I hope this campaign inspires you to try something similar. Writers are makers. If what you make can help someone else during these difficult times, don't even think twice. Go for it. Do it.
~Ben
May 5, 2020, Update
And here's the receipt. Thanks, everyone!
